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California Real Estate Overview

California is located on the west coast of the United States. California is the third largest state in the U.S. by area and the most populous state in the U.S., as well as the most physically diverse, with the highest and the lowest points in the lower 48 states located within 150 miles of each other. If California were an independent nation, it would have the sixth largest economy in the world. The state's official nickname is "The Golden State" in reference to California's 1849 Gold Rush.

As one of the most demographically diverse states in the nation, California is a dominant force in American culture as well as the nation's economy. It has some of the nation's most important cities, including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco, and is responsible for many legal and technological innovations.

California borders the Pacific Ocean, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and the Mexican state of Baja California. The state has strikingly beautiful natural features, including an expansive central valley, tall mountains, hot deserts, and hundreds of miles of scenic coastline. Most major cities are at or near the Pacific coastline, notably Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Long Beach, Oakland, Santa Ana/Orange County, and San Diego. However, the capital, Sacramento, is in the Central Valley.

Along the densely-populated and long California coast lie a number of major metropolitan areas, including those of San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, Los Angeles-Long Beach, Santa Ana-Irvine-Anaheim, and San Diego. Climates near the Pacific Ocean are remarkably moderate compared with inland climates. Winter temperatures never reach freezing (snow is virtually unheard of) and summer temperatures rarely reach above the high 80's Fahrenheit (low 30's Celsius).

California Important Cities and Towns

• Sacramento Real Estate
• Los Angeles Real Estate
• San Diego Real Estate
• San Francisco Real Estate
• San Jose Real Estate
• Long Beach Real Estate
• Oakland Real Estate
• Anaheim Real Estate

The state of California has 478 cities, the majority of which are within one of the large metropolitan areas. 68% of California's population lives in its two largest metropolitan areas, Greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Rank - City - Population - County

1 - Los Angeles Real Estate - 3,957,875 - Los Angeles County
2 - San Diego Real Estate - 1,305,736 - San Diego County
3 - San Jose Real Estate - 944,857 - Santa Clara County
4 - San Francisco Real Estate - 799,263 - San Francisco County
5 - Long Beach Real Estate - 491,564 - Los Angeles County
6 - Fresno Real Estate - 464,727 - Fresno County
7 - Sacramento Real Estate - 452,959 - Sacramento County
8 - Oakland Real Estate - 412,318 - Alameda County
9 - Santa Ana Real Estate - 351,697 - Orange County
10 - Anaheim Real Estate - 345,317 - Orange County

Rank - County - Population - Largest City

1 - Los Angeles County Real Estate - 10,226,506 - Los Angeles
2 - Orange County Real Estate - 3,056,865 - Santa Ana
3 - San Diego County Real Estate - 3,051,280 - San Diego
4 - San Bernardino County Real Estate - 1,946,202 - San Bernardino
5 - Riverside County Real Estate - 1,877,000 - Riverside
6 - Santa Clara County Real Estate - 1,759,585 - San Jose
7 - Alameda County Real Estate - 1,507,500 - Oakland
8 - Sacramento County Real Estate - 1,369,855 - Sacramento
9 - Contra Costa County Real Estate - 1,020,898 - Concord
10 - Fresno County Real Estate - 883,537 - Fresno

California Counties (listed alphabetically):

Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, Yuba.

Largest urbanized areas in California (listed in order of population):

* Los Angeles/Long Beach (Greater Los Angeles)
* San Jose/San Francisco/Oakland (Bay Area)
* Orange County (usually included in the Greater Los Angeles Area)
* San Bernardino/Riverside (Inland Empire, usually included in the Greater Los Angeles Metro Area)
* San Diego
* Fresno
* Sacramento
* Bakersfield
* Oceanside/Carlsbad/Escondido (North County Area, usually included in the San Diego Metro Area)
* Oxnard/Ventura (Ventura County, usually included in the Greater Los Angeles Metro Area)
* Stockton
* Visalia/Tulare/Porterville
* Palmdale/Lancaster (Antelope Valley)
* Monterey/Salinas
* Modesto
* Indio/Palm Springs (Coachella Valley or Palm Springs Area)
* Santa Barbara/Santa Maria
* Santa Rosa (Sonoma County) (usually included in the Bay Area)
* Redding
* Chico
* San Luis Obispo/Atascadero/Paso Robles (San Luis Obispo County)

The 215 largest cities (by population) in California, listed in order of size:

Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Long Beach, Fresno, Sacramento, Oakland, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Bakersfield, Riverside, Stockton, Chula Vista, Fremont, Modesto, Glendale, Huntington Beach, San Bernardino, Oxnard, Irvine, Oceanside, Garden Grove, Ontario, Santa Clarita, Moreno Valley, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Salinas, Pomona, Santa Rosa, Corona, Palmdale, Escondido, Hayward, Torrance, Orange, Pasadena, Lancaster, Sunnyvale, Thousand Oaks, Fullerton, El Monte, Concord, Vallejo, Inglewood, Simi Valley, Costa Mesa, West Covina, Visalia, Downey, Burbank, Daly City, Norwalk, Berkeley, Richmond, Santa Clara, Fairfield, San Buenaventura (Ventura), South Gate, El Cajon, Compton, Mission Viejo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Rialto, Antioch, Vista, Carson, Vacaville, Westminster, Alhambra, Citrus Heights, Santa Monica, Whittier, Redding, Roseville, Tracy, Lakewood, Buena Park, Carlsbad, Santa Maria, Baldwin Park, Redwood City, Livermore, Bellflower, Napa, Alameda, Mountain View, Newport Beach, Lynwood, Clovis, Upland, Tustin, Chino, Union City, Walnut Creek, Victorville, Merced, Pleasanton, Redlands, Pico Rivera, Redondo Beach, Milpitas, Hesperia, Montebello, Laguna Niguel, Huntington Park, South San Francisco, Davis, Monterey Park, Elk Grove, Chico, La Habra, Yorba Linda, Hemet, Lake Forest, Palo Alto, Encinitas, Gardena, Temecula, Camarillo, Lodi, Manteca, Pittsburg, Diamond Bar, San Rafael, Turlock, Paramount, Rancho Cordova, Fountain Valley, San Marcos, La Mesa, Santa Cruz, Petaluma, National City, Apple Valley, Rosemead, Arcadia, Santee, Folsom, Cerritos, Cupertino, San Clemente, Glendora, Manteca, Woodland, Indio, Poway, Colton, Rancho Santa Margarita, Covina, La Mirada, Placentia, Cypress, San Ramon, Azusa, Highland, Murrieta, Watsonville, San Luis Obispo, Bell Gardens, Tulare, Madera, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Newark, Rohnert Park, Danville, Hanford, Gilroy, Yucaipa, Palm Desert, Rancho Palos Verdes, Lompoc, La Puente, Aliso Viejo, San Bruno, San Gabriel, Porterville, Delano, Culver City, Pacifica, Campbell, El Centro, Stanton, Monrovia, Yuba City, Bell, Rocklin, Perris, Martinez, West Hollywood, Brea, Dana Point, San Dimas, Ceres, Hollister, Claremont, Manhattan Beach, San Juan Capistrano, Beverly Hills, Morgan Hill, Temple City, Montclair, Pleasant Hill, Lawndale, Seaside, La Verne, West Sacramento, Moorpark, Laguna Hills, Menlo Park, San Pablo, Walnut.

25 wealthiest places in California:

Thanks to the state's powerful economy, certain California cities are among the wealthiest on the planet. The following list is ranked by per capita income:

1. Belvedere, California – Marin County – $113,595
2. Rancho Santa Fe, California – San Diego County – $113,132
3. Atherton, California – San Mateo County – $112,408
4. Rolling Hills, California – Los Angeles County – $111,031
5. Woodside, California – San Mateo County – $104,667
6. Portola Valley, California – San Mateo County – $99,621
7. Newport Coast, California – Orange County – $98,770
8. Hillsborough, California – San Mateo County – $98,643
9. Diablo, California – Contra Costa County – $95,419
10. Fairbanks Ranch, California – San Diego County – $94,150
11. Hidden Hills, California – Los Angeles County – $94,096
12. Los Altos Hills, California – Santa Clara County – $92,840
13. Tiburon, California – Marin County – $85,966
14. Sausalito, California – Marin County – $81,040
15. Monte Sereno, California – Santa Clara County – $76,577
16. Indian Wells, California – Riverside County $76,187
17. Malibu, California – Los Angeles County – $74,336
18. Del Monte Forest, California – Monterey County – $70,609
19. Piedmont, California – Alameda County – $70,539
20. Montecito, California – Santa Barbara County – $70,077
21. Palos Verdes Estates, California – Los Angeles County – $69,040
22. Emerald Lake Hills, California – San Mateo County – $68,966
23. Loyola, California – Santa Clara County – $68,730
24. Blackhawk-Camino Tassajara, California – Contra Costa County – $66,972
25. Los Altos, California – Santa Clara County – $66,776

Notable Colleges in California

• UC Berkeley
• Stanford
• UCLA
• USC

California's public educational system is supported by a unique constitutional amendment that requires 40% of state revenues to be spent on education.

The preeminent state university is the University of California, which employs more Nobel Prize winners than any other institution in the world and is considered one of the finest public higher-education systems in the country. Notable private universities include Stanford University, the University of Southern California (USC), Santa Clara University (SCU), the Claremont Colleges, and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (which administers the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA).

Also: State of California Official Website